Author: Steven Schwartz
Date: 08:45:17 06/26/98
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On June 26, 1998 at 09:33:49, Bert Seifriz wrote: >Now somehow I do not trust those ChessMaster numbers, sorry. But even when you >divide them by 10 ChessMaster would still be another 10 times ahead of Fritz >worldwide. (In Germany ChessMaster is definitely not a bestseller though!) >It would in fact be also interesting to know more about other programs like >M-Chess, Shredder, Nimzo, CS-Tal, Virtual, Zarkov, Hiarcs etc. etc. That they >all together have only a market share of 5 percent is not at all realistic >compared with our numbers. But no manufacturer will give you his numbers, so >allcomes down to fortune telling. And for the statistics in CSS you could cite >the Italian proverb: Si non e vero, e bon trovato. If it is not true it is at least well made up. >Bert/gambitsoft.com Chessmaster claims remind me of the former claims of McDonalds. They used to shout from every sign in front of every McDonalds "Over 20 Billion Sold" (and every week they would change the sign to reflect the new, higher numbers). Every time there is a new Chessmaster, there is a new "Number Sold" proclaimed on the box (in the millions instead of billions, ostensibly, I believe, because more people eat hamburgers than play chess - at least in the U.S. :-)). Who is counting???? Who is auditing that count???? Based upon my experience, commercial software (Chessmaster, Extreme, Virtual, Grandmaster, Expert, etc.) is 95% of the U.S. market in numbers sold (perhaps 90% in monies spent). Our current Opinion Poll on what software we possess is very interesting, but, to a great degree, reflects almost entirely the "serious" chess player who is a member of CCC, and it does not at all take into the account the vast majority of chess players who buy chess software - the people who come into our store from off the street. These people would rather spend $30 on a program that will beat them every time they play it than on a program that costs $100 and will beat them every time they play it. I have seen 20 years of creative chess advertising. I just got off the phone with a customer who purchased from us an Atlanta (stand-alone) based upon a current U.S. Chess Federation ad proclaiming a "2280+ Swedish ELO program". While he was on the phone, I called up the SSDF list but could find the Atlanta nowhere. Then I realized that the text said a 2280+ *PROGRAM*!?! Ah, so perhaps this "program" was running on very fast hardware and wound up with a 2280+ rating, but that has nothing to do with the Atlanta and its processor! Not to mention that the claim flies in the face of the Federation's own policy not to advertise ANY rating unless it is their "official" rating. Not a year has gone by without many instances of such "creative advertising". It is a shame. Perhaps, we can start a CCC Shameful Advertising Hall of Fame. I know, as a retailer, I may be opening a Pandora's Box, but it would be interesting to read CCC member's nominations for specific chess ad claims from the distant past up to the present that deserve entry into the SAHF. -Steve - ICD/Your Move - icdchess.com
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